Louangphrabang, Laos: Serenity & Spirituality

Posted On January 30, 2024

Traveled: November 2023

If you had to pull out a map to remind yourself of where Laos is located, I understand – its partially how we stumbled upon this amazing country and what is now my favorite city in all of Asia. While planning a trip to Vietnam, our travel buddy logically pointed out that it made no sense to try to see all of Vietnam in one trip since the weather would vary dramatically from North to South; November it turns out was a perfect time for Ha Long Bay – but the rainy, typhoon season in Central Vietnam. She suggested picking destinations of the same latitude – and thus, we found ourselves combining North Vietnam with Laos, where November is a perfect time to visit: warm but not too hot, and just after the end of the rainy season so that the waterfalls were lovely and full. One visit here had me wondering why this country was only on the radar of backpackers but not other travelers – but then again, that’s why I loved it!

Getting there

Flights into Laos (Louangphrabang or the capital, Vientiane) are through only one of two hubs: Bangkok or Hanoi. (Laos airlines advertises a connection to Seoul but we could not find that flight at the time of our travel). It is also possibly to arrive by boat on the Mekong from Thailand. I highly recommend purchasing your visa in advance online – you can obtain one in person but you must use pristine $USD in exact change. Once you are there, Laos airlines runs daily flights to many destinations within Laos; most departures are out of Vientiane. China has built a brand new railway which opened in late 2021, connecting the major destinations of Vientiane, Vang Vientiane, and Luang Prabang with an express train that take just two hours to get from Vientiane to Luang Prabang. The logistics of the train are a bit complicated: train stations are 30 to 45 minutes outside of town center, and for non-Chinese tourists, tickets can only be bought a maximum of three days in advance using an app which requires a Lao credit card. To purchase train tickets, have your lodging help you book the tickets (most will), or go through a website such as 12Go. The train schedule can be accessed here and this blog post had a good primer on the train system. Of note, the Luang Prabang train station is about 30 minutes outside of town but about five minutes from the recommended elephant sanctuary which does offer lodging, so consider a night near the sanctuary if arriving by train.

Budgeting your time in Louangphrabang/Luang Prabang

With only 3 to 5 days, I would stick to Luang Prabang and enjoy many of the available excursions and day trips, as you will probably find yourself running out of time. We had 6 days and could have used more! With 6 to 10 days you could perhaps include a slow boat to the Thailand border (2 days/1night), fly through Vientiane to see the ruins in Pakse, or take a 1-2 night trip to visit more remote villages in the north such as Nong Khiaw or Muang Ngoi. Outdoor enthusiasts may instead enjoy 2-3 nights in Vang Vien, which is making an effort to develop and grow beyond its backpacker reputation. I would not make a special trip to see Vientiane, but if your itinerary takes you through Vientiane’s airport, it may be worth a night or two to see Buddha Park, some of the temples, and the cafe scene. With two weeks or more, you could certainly see quite a bit of the country at a relaxed pace. Lonely Planet has the only guide book I found for Laos (and you can follow its author, Jason Rolan, on social media).

You will not find many resorts in Laos, but tourism is increasing, and new resorts are being created. We opted to stay in the center of Luang Prabang to enjoy being able to walk to all of the cafes at night and stroll the city in the morning during the alms giving. We loved strolling this very safe and walkable town all hours of the day and rarely had to use a tuk-tuk.

Other tips: Don’t try to get currency in advance….because you can’t. Lao money can only be obtained and used in Lao. ATMs were easy to find in the center of Luang Prabang. We got the bare minimum we thought we would need for small purchases and drivers, and supplemented with $USD for backup; $USD is widely accepted but it had better be in pristine mint condition – they won’t accept anything with a mark, tear or fold. Don’t take Lao currency out of the country as you cannot exchange it outside the borders.
Speaking the language: Know a few key phrases to be polite, but the Laoation language is tough to learn. Most people in Luang Prabang knew a little English; Google Translate came in very handy.
Cell phone service: we purchased a Lao e-SIM card through Airalo. It worked perfectly.  Wi-Fi worked well at our hotel and many cafes/restaurants offered free Wi-Fi.

Day	Suggested 5-day itinerary
1	Arrive in Luang Prabang. Sightsee as time allows. Enjoy a nice dinner at the teaching restaurant Khaiphaen, or consider the recommended cooking class and baci ceremony. Stretch your legs after with a stroll the night market.
2	Awaken with a coffee at Saffron cafe, then hire a boat (or driver) to take you down the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves. Return for a late lunch and stroll around town. In the late afternoon, hike up Mount Phousi for the sunset (be sure to hang out for a good 20 minutes after the sun sets, for beautiful colors in the sky!). Head down eastward towards Kingkitsarath Rd, where you can enjoy a glass of wine at Red Rose wine bar or a cocktail at Artisan Bar before heading to Tamarind for dinner.
3	If you love French pastries, drop by Le Banneton Cafe first thing in the morning for a croissant to fuel up before your departure to the Mandalao Elephant Camp for an all-day excursion with the elephants. At the end of the day, have the driver drop you off at Ock Pop Top for a sunset drink +/- dinner, and to peruse the unique handicraft items.
4	Arise early to watch the alms giving ceremony. Then hire a driver for the day to visit Kuang Si waterfall and park.  On the way back, stop at the water buffalo dairy farm for a cheese tasting and homemade ice cream. Tonight, perhaps switch it up with a French dinner, or if open, take a tuk-tuk to Secret Pizza.
5	Grab one more coffee at Saffron, enjoying the views of the Mekong, then see the temples and sights around town (Lonely Planet’s guide has a nice walking tour). Consider another activity, such as a cooking class, Hmong batik class, or the Orange Robe tour. For lunch, Tim Papaya Salad is a must try if you love green papaya salad, or try the green curry gnocchi at Bouang. In the late afternoon, catch a sunset cruise down the Mekong and toast your last night! Splurge for dinner at Manda de Laos for a fabulous end to your trip.

Sightseeing around town

 You will quickly find Luang Prabang to be a charming town to stroll at any hour of the day. The city comes every morning at sunrise for the alms giving ceremony. In November, sunrise was shortly after 6 AM and arriving on the main street at 5:45 AM, allowed us plenty of time to watch the procession. I do not suggest purchasing rice from a street vendor or participating in the ceremony unless you are with a local Laoatian who can show you how to do this properly; there are a lot of customs that should be followed (certain rice must be procured, gloves must be used, etc). If it’s your first time, I would sit back and watch from a distance and soak it all in. To learn more about the life of the monks, I highly recommend orange robe tours where you can learn all about the monastery. Interestingly, many low, Asian boys voluntarily enter the monastery at young age for the opportunities at offers, then transition out of the monastery after they have finished their schooling.
For those into running in the early mornings (and evenings), Luang Prabang was one of the few (only!) places I have seen runners out and about in Asia; traffic is very sparce before 7:30am. Coffee and pastry lovers will have plenty of options to indulge. Saffron Café was our favorite, and they do offer a tour if you want to learn more about their local coffee process. Being that Laos was a former French colony, you will see European style pastry shops scattered throughout the town. After breakfast, a good place to visit is the morning market, which spans innumerable blocks. I found it quite interesting to look at the vast amount of produce, which is quite different than anything you would see at American or European markets. Many of the cooking classes included visit to the market to shop for ingredients, which can be a fun way to learn about all the different products being sold. Forewarned, there are definitely some unusual things for sale (skinned rats? worms? live ducks? You bet!).

For a comprehensive walking tour, I highly recommend following the tour in the Lonely Planet guidebook.

One of our favorite experiences was a cooking class that included a baci ceremony. After we were picked up by our host and driver Somsay, we were taken to the local market to shop for ingredients (I was sincerely thankful that no rats or mealworms were purchased) and then out to the home of Somsay’s family. We were warmly greeted, and despite the fact that only our host spoke English, we were immediately welcomed, and we’re sharing jokes after just a few minutes. The ceremony itself was wonderful to be a part of, and the elders that conducted the ceremony were incredibly genuine, and kind. We had to the cooking class portion of our evening with our hearts full. we prepared several traditional dishes, then sat down for a feast that included additional dishes we did not have time to prepare ourselves.

For other local classes and things to do, check out Ock Pop Top, Wander Laos, and Tiger Trails.

Another must do is a sunset cruise on the Mekong. After researching numerous options, we chose Khopfa and had a great experience. They have cocktails and snacks on board, and plenty of room to spread out and relax (tip: claim the tables on the upper deck of the front of the boat for the best view; the bean bag seating areas in the back upper deck were comfy and great but we also had the noise of the engine). Another recommended cruise would be Sasa. Cruises depart anywhere from 4:15 to 5:45 depending on sunset time, so check the time when booking.

Visit Kuang Si waterfalls & Pak Ou Caves

There are many day trips in the area, the most common of which are the Pak Ou caves and the Kuang Si waterfall. You will commonly see these two sites combined in a 1-day tour, but they are each about 45 minutes outside of the city and completely opposite directions; cramming them both into one day is efficient for those tight on time but not ideal… The caves are north of the city and can be reached by boat or a combination of driver and boat. The boat ride takes about two hours to the caves, less time coming back since it will be downstream, and there is a shared boat that departs once per morning or a private boat can be hired. Driving took about 45 minutes followed by a 5 minute boat ride across the water. The caves can be seen in about 30 to 45 minutes; don’t expect any functioning bathrooms or facilities.

The Kuang Si waterfalls, in my opinion, were worth a day on their own if you like to hike and swim. I would recommend going in the morning to have time to walk around before it gets crowded. Your ticket into the park includes a tram ride up to the waterfall, park itself, and passes by a butterfly sanctuary that is also possible to visit, just ask the tram driver to stop and let you off at the butterflies. Once you arrive at the waterfall park, you’ll go through the entry and hike on one of two very well-maintained paths back to the waterfall. The Sunbear rescue exhibit is on the way to the waterfall and worth a quick stop. For the more adventurous, there is an option of a very steep hike to the top of the waterfall which, unfortunately does not provide any fantastic views, but you can see the river from which the waterfall comes from and it is possible to take a boat ride up that river if you ask at the little café at the top of the waterfall. The hike up and down the sides of the waterfall is very slippery and treacherous so I would definitely recommend good walking shoes (not flip flops!). Afterward, cool off with a dip in the waters; on a hot day this feels great, in November it was more like a scenic cold plunge. There are bathroom facilities here, but they weren’t the greatest.

On the way home, I would recommend a stop at the Laos Buffalo Dairy, which has a lovely small café where you can enjoy a cheese plate and locally flavored ice cream produced by water buffalo (I had black sesame and caramel, in case you were wondering). We were actually waited on by one of the owners, who explained their project, which helps to ensure the health of the water buffalo and provide nutritional support to the families in the area. Tours are offered.

We also took a half-day hike to Tad Sae waterfall with Tiger Trails (they offer a number of hiking excursions in the region; also check out Ecotourism Laos for other multi-day hike options). The Initial portion of the hike was quite enjoyable, as well as the visit to the village. The second part of the hike to the waterfall self was mostly walking on a dirt road, not ideal, but the waterfalls were lovely to see. We hiked in the back way, past two other sections of waterfalls, which were quite stunning, before arriving at the bigger waterfall, which was a little more commercial and crowded. As a sidenote, you may, or may not know that Laos was the most continuously bombed country in the world, during the Vietnam war. As such, many of the beautiful forests and mountains that you see still have unexploded ordinances, which is a very sad and unfortunate reality.

Visit the Mandalao Elephant Conservation site

I cannot highly recommend a visit to this wonderful elephant conservation project. Elephants historically have had very tough lives in Laos, commonly used for logging and industry. During and after the Vietnam war, a large number of them were also killed by bombs and unexploded ordinances. Unfortunately, there are still elephant camps in the area that allow for riding of the elephants (and often mistreat the elephants). Mandalao rescues young elephants from riding camps, as well as from the logging industry and works to release the elephants that they can back into the wild. The ones that are not able to be released into the wild of a glorious life of eating endlessly and taking walks through the forest. The half-day excursion had a pretty short walk and not much time with the elephants at all, while the half-day allowed us a lot more time to see the elephants as well as see a local village, the hike was not physically strenuous and it was a lovely and enjoyable experience. There is an on-site restaurant and hotel, and the facility is quite close to the train station.
If you have 2 to 3 days on hand, and want a more in-depth experience, I would recommend looking into the Elephant Conservation Center in Sainyabuli.

Dining in Luang Prabang

The food in Laos definitely took me by surprise! As a landlocked country, there are many dishes and ingredients you won’t find elsewhere. Grocery stores are not common, almost every local person shops at the market once or even twice a day for the items that they need. Dishes commonly feature piles of fresh herbs and greens, they use a lot of mint and dill as well as Lao basil (different from Thai basil) and cilantro. Fish, pork, water buffalo and chicken are common and grilled over charcoal or steamed in banana leaves. Larb is a common “salad” topped with pork or other proteins, served chilled. Eggplants are everywhere- including pea eggplants (they look like a pea or large caper, but are a small eggplant). Banana flowers, beetle leaf, bamboo in many forms….so many unique ingredients! Traditionally, food is eaten with one’s hands using a unique type of sticky rice served in a unique handwoven basket; the rice is molded to a shape that can be used to scoop the food up. I found the best Laoatian food experience to be at Tamarind, which offers several different tasting menus including an authentic jungle tasting menu that needs to be reserved in advance. They also offered a highly rated cooking class. Ock Pop Top is also a must visit for a peak at their textiles and the lovely riverside patio that is perfect for sunset. For a high end Laoatian meal in an elegant setting, visit Manda de Laos; dining amongst the lily ponds is pretty spectacular.
In addition to traditional Laoatioan food, you will also see a lot of Thai and French restaurants in Louangphrabang. And, if you want some amazing pizza, you absolutely must try Secret Pizza, which I think is a must visit while in Laos. Open only on Tuesdays and Fridays for dinner, cash only, the restaurant is operated out of an ex pat’s house (er, villa) and serves incredibly authentic pizza with imported ingredients.

For those needing to quench their thirst, BeerLao is standard all over the country; Luang Prabang also has its own brew. The locals brew their own rice whiskey which you will find all over town, served on its own or in cocktails. Surprisingly, thanks to the French influence, wine was served at most restaurants we visited!

Dinner reservations are highly recommended as the popular restaurants are usually booked solid and most restaurants are not very large. Tipping doesn’t exist in Laos (outside of tipping tour guides a customary 5-10%) so while dining, respect that it is a non tipping culture. Buon appetite, and I hope you enjoy Luang Prabang as much as we did!

Clockwise from upper left corner: a sunset drink at Ock Pop Top; a bowl of steaming khao soi which was our breakfast most days; pork sausage with steemed vegetables and a spoon of chili paste served with fried buffalo skin and dried river weed; more local sausage at Mandra de Laos; steamed fish with eggplant and tomato chutneys at Manda de Laos; vegetables for sale at the morning market; a large platter at Tamarind consisting of sa mak keua (salad of pork, banana flower, eggplant and bamboo), koy pa (fish with herbs), green papaya salad, sausage, and soup; close up of pea eggplants in a soup.